Jang Song-Thaek, one of the most powerful men in the country, reportedly
ousted and two of his associates publicly executed
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Jang Song-thaek (in hat) with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un Photo: AP
The uncle and mentor to Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, has apparently
been purged by a resurgent military faction in Pyongyang.
Jang Song-thaek has not been seen in public since late November, when two of
his closest aides were executed in public after being found guilty of
corruption and activities that ran counter to the policies of the Workers'
Party of Korea, according to a report by South Korea's National Intelligence
Service (NIS).
The NIS is still trying to determine the full scale of the purge, which is
apparently ongoing, Yonhap News reported, and there is a possibility that
Jang has also been executed.
Jang is the husband of Kim Kyong-hui, the aunt of Kim Jong-un, and was
promoted to the post of vice chairman of the powerful National Defence
Commission after the youthful and inexperienced Kim Jong-un became leader of
North Korea in December 2011.
Jang had been instrumental in smoothing the transition of power to Kim after
the sudden death of his father, Kim Jong-il, and helping to build his
protect his position from rival factions within the regime.
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